T hey can be as short as 3 inches and as long as 18. They can sport bumpy little ridges or razor-sharp edges. They can weigh less than an ounce or as much as a pound.
They’re your kitchen knives, and you can’t cook without them. Herewith, everything you wanted to know about home cutlery, from the one knife you absolutely must own to how to avoid stabbing yourself or a loved one.
Three essential knives
The most important knife in any home cook’s arsenal is a chef’s knife. You know the one, usually with a 6- or 8-inch, slightly curved blade and an ergonomic handle.
Asian chefs use this knife to accomplish every single culinary task, from hulling strawberries to butchering a chicken. For those of us without such well-honed skills, a chef’s knife is the one we turn to first. It’s perfect for chopping vegetables, portioning small birds and roasts and mincing herbs.
The next workhorse in the house is a serrated knife, either the 5-inch version or the 8-inch style – your preference. The longer one cuts bread perfectly, from severing bagels into exact halves to making short work of that crusty baguette. The smaller one can peel an orange and slice a ripe tomato without losing a drop of juice.
And then there’s the off-the-board everyman’s blade – think Grandma slicing fruit – the paring knife. Designed to be used primarily in the air, this small wonder cores apples, pits cherries and slides around cake pans like a dream.
Two more to covet
Some cooks prefer the lighter, curvier santoku to a chef’s knife for its fatter blade and smoother rocking motion. It’s great for smashing garlic, chopping nuts and stroking through weighty vegetables.
Finally, professional chefs say they can’t live without the thin-bladed boning knife. If you eat a lot of animal protein, this is the knife for you. It trims the fat off roasts, cuts around bones and between ribs and filets fish lickety split.
What’s right for you?
Forget brand names, local experts say, just pick a knife that feels good in your hand.
“If you’re attracted to the look of a knife and how it feels, you’ll use it better,” said Ryan Lowe, Ore House general manager and executive chef. “It’s like a bike. If you like the design, you’ll ride it better and faster.”
Lowe is partial to Misono, a Japanese brand, and Henckels, a well-established German maker. Most important to him however, is the feel of the handle and the quality of the steel. While you can buy a decent chef’s knife for $25 (Victorinox regularly wins rave reviews), the more you spend, the higher the quality and the more likely your knives will last.
“I don’t have a brand I always have to buy,” said Neal Drysdale, a chef at Seasons Rotisserie & Grill. “Being a chef, you always want the next new big knife because they’re all so cool.”
Right now, he fancies a 15-inch chef’s knife made by Shun, the Japanese brand known for its beautiful details like wooden handles and hammered blades, but also for the sharpest of edges and prices that start at more than $150. For most home chefs, though, a knife that big is like wielding a Samurai sword. Just try slicing a carrot with it.
Drysdale’s colleague, line cook Jaren Bates, uses only Japanese knives, preferring them for their strong steel, light touch and long-lasting edge. He favors handmade knives by the brands Misono and Masahiro, which makes a traditional Japanese one-sided knife. The knives make short work of cutting vegetables, cleaning fish and slicing meat, all part of his job at Seasons.
Drysdale, meanwhile, is not so exclusive. He also recommends Wusthoff, another old-line German cutlery company that makes sturdy yet comfortable kitchen knives that last a lifetime.
Both chefs recommend trying out different knives – getting sales clerks to let you handle them – before purchasing. How does the grip feel? Does it slip? Is the weight just right? Do you like its motion on a cutting board?
Urban Market offers the glistening, high-end Shun knives, as well as the trendy and affordable ceramic brand Kyocera, so popular for its brightly colored paring knives. Durango Coffee Co. carries Kyocera – a local favorite because it stays sharp longer – and Wusthoff. And Kroegers Ace Hardware offers Henckels, its top seller, along with Chicago Cutlery.
Staying sharp
We all know how irritating it is to cook with a dull knife, but I bet you didn’t know a sharp knife makes food taste better. A very sharp blade severs the cells cleanly, causing foods to retain their juices, giving your dish more flavor. It also causes food to last longer and stay fresher. (Want proof? Try this: cut an apple with a dull knife and another with a sharp knife and watch which one turns brown first.)
Three things dull a knife, says Barry Owen, owner of Columbine Sharpening. Cutting on the wrong surface is number one. Glass, marble, granite or steel will all harm a knife’s edge. Wood and plastic will keep it sharper longer. Putting knives in the dishwasher is a no-no. So is storing them tossed in a drawer. Wash your knives by hand and put them away in a knife block, a drawer with individual slots or on a magnetic strip.
Another bonus of sharp knives?
“It’s much safer,” said Drysdale. “You won’t use as much force, and you’re less likely to cut yourself.”
To sharpen your knives, use a steel, a long, thin cylinder attached to a handle designed to keep edges in shape. And take them to be professionally sharpened twice a year.
Use proper technique
Let’s say you have your knives and they’re as sharp as a sushi chef’s. What now?
To chop vegetables, experts suggest holding a chef’s knife with your fingers straight down and using a rocking motion by keeping the blade tip in contact with the cutting board. Push food forward with your other hand, keeping your fingers curled under.
For slicing meat, use either a long serrated knife or a chef’s knife and start at the highest point, pulling the knife toward you using a downward motion and holding the meat in place with your other hand.
And to mince all those fresh herbs celebrity chefs call for in their recipes? Take up the chef’s knife and place your non-dominant hand lightly on the top of the blade as you press down quickly. The motion will flow in a semi-circle.
Now you know everything, right? Well, maybe one last thing.
“Never walk with a knife pointing out – you may not want to unintentionally stab someone,” Lowe said. “Always hold it down at your side.”
Don’t say I didn’t tell you.
phasterok@durangoherald.com
